Portable lighter.



G. HUBERT. PORTABLE LIGHTER. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1909.

Patented June 20, 1911.

STATES CONRAD HUBERT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PORTABLE LIGHTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 20, 1911.

Application filed August 17, 1909. Serial No. 618,286. I

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I,.C0NRAD HUBERT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city of New York in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Lighters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

My invention relates generall toportable or pocket lighters and particu arly to that type of such lighters wherein a frictional sparking device is employed.

My invention has for its objects simplicity and economy of construction, ease of operation, compactness and durability.

I employ as a spark producing part a material known as a pyrophoric alloy, which, upon comparatively slight friction will emit a shower of sparks capable of igniting a tinder or wick. Such pyrophoric alloys are now known to the artand may constitute an alloy of some one or more of the rare earth metals, for example, an alloy containing cerium and iron has been found suitable for the purpose. However, it should be an derstood that my present invention is not directly concerned with the nature or composition of the pyrophoric alloy employed, but has to do with an ignition device adapt; ed to employ such sparking material or pyrophoric alloy. The co-acting friction element is also of a metallic nature, but of considerably harder material, as for example, steel.

My invention includes a sparking element and a friction element, means being provided for holding one of such elements in proximity to an ignitible part or wick, the other element being carried by a-cover for the wick holder.

My invention also includes a metallic sparking element and a metallic friction element combined with the wick holding device.

My invention also includes several details of construction and combinations of as will hereinafter appear.

I shall now describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings and shall thereafter point out my invention in claims.

Figure 1 is an elevation on a reduced scale of the complete device as held in the hands parts,

the friction element 8.

and operated for ignition. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the complete device. Fig. 3 is a similar view on a plane indicated pjt the line 33 of Fig. 2 as viewed from the e In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, a cartridge sha ed shell or sheet-metal casing 4 is provided at its larger end with a bottom closure 5 fitting r'emovably therein, and is provided at its smaller end with a lining 6 fixedtherein. The lining 6 is provided with a bottom 7, shown as formed integral therewith and di-. viding the casing 4 into ana upper and a lower compartment. The lining 6 projects beyond the casing 4 and at one side has a portion 8 projecting farther than the re mainder and bei eled outwardly substantially to a knife edge, as shown in the drawings, to form a friction element or scraper adapted to coact with the sparking material or sparking element. A wick tube 9 passes from the lower compartment through the wall 7 and extends through the upper compartment and terminates in a plane bet-ween the scraping edge or friction edge of the part 8 and the upper end of the rest of the lining 6. A wick 10 is coiled within the casing 4 and has an end projecting from the upper end of the wick tube 9 in proximity to the friction edge of the friction element 8. The wick 10 should be moistened with gasolene or other suitable liquid fuel. This may be effected from time to time, as re quired, by removing the bottom closure 5 and dropping in a few'drops of gasolene, just sufficient to moisten the wick 10 without leaving any free gasolene not absorbed into the wick. The lining 6. embodying the friction element 8, should be of some hard metal, for example, steel, while the other above described parts may be of any suitable material, for example, brass.

To ignite the end of the wick 10 projecting from the upper end of the wick tube 9, a sparking element is provided coactive with This sparking element is composed of a pyrophoric alloy, and is shown as supported on an arm 12 carried by a cover cap 13 for the casing 4, the upper end of the arm 12 being shown as inserted into a plug 14, of wood or other suitable material, in the cap 13. The cap 13 fits over the projecting portion of the lining 6 and abuts against the shoulder formed by the upper end of the casing 4, the projecting luv portion of the arm 12 and the sparking element 11 being received into the upper compartment formed in the casing 4 above the partition wall 7. When the cap 13 is thus in place, a smooth outer contour is presented, the general appearance being that of a rifle cartridge, th1s efiect being heightened by making the cap 13 of a bullet colored metal such as steel to give the proper color effect.

'When the device is to be operated, the cap 13 is removed and held in one hand, while the casing 4 is held in the other hand, substantially as illustrated in Fig. 1, the sparking element 11 being drawn with slight pres sure across the sharp beveled edge of the friction element 8 in a direction away from the wick 10 while inclined to the casing 4 at a slightly acute angle, as indicated in Fig. 1. This operation will produce a shower of sparks several of which will fall upon the projecting end of the wick 10 and will ignite it. After application to the cigar'or other object to be lighted or ignited, the

flame may be either blown out or extinguished by replacing the cap 13 on the casing 4, thereby excluding the air and smothering the flame.

It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the construction shown and above particularly described within the principle and scope of my invention.

I claim:

l. A portable lighter comprising a wickcont-aining casing, a lining projecting from the casing and forming a friction element, a separable cover for the casin fitting over the projecting portion of the llning, an arm projecting from within the cover, and a sparking element carried by the arm, the sparking element being received into the casing when the cover is in place on the casing and being adapted to be drawn across the friction element after the cover has been detached from the casing.

2. A portable lighter comprising a wickcontaining casing-provided with upper and lower compartments, a lining projecting from the upper compartment of the casing and forming a friction element, a wick tube extending from the lower compartment to the upper. edge of the upper compartment, a

separable cover for the upper compartment fitting over the projecting portion of the lining, an arm projecting from within the cover, and a sparking element carried by the arm, the sparking element being received into the upper compartment when the cover is in'place on the casing and being adapted to be drawn across the friction element after the cover has been detached from the casing.

3. A portable lighter comprising a wickcontaining casing including a bottom closure adapted to be opened to give access to the interior of the casing, a lining fitted in the upper portion of the casing, the lining being provided with a bottom forming in the casing an upper compartment, such lining projecting from the casing and being provided with a scraping edge, and a wick tube extending from the interior of the easing through the upper compartment and terminating in proximity to the scraping edge of the lining, in combination with a separable cover adapted to fit over the projecting portion of the lining, an 'arm projecting from the cover, and sparking material carried by the arm, the sparking material being received into said upper compartment of the casing when the cover is on and being adapted to be drawn across the scraping edge of the lining after the cover has been detached.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CONRAD HUBERT.

Witnesses:

WM. ASHLEY KELLY, BERNARD CowEN. 

